Why Donald Trump's New Child-Care Plan Is a Joke

This past summer at the RNC, Ivanka Trump proudly announced that women who work for her father's namesake company "are paid equally for the work that we do, and when a woman becomes a mother she is supported, not shut out." She also promised "quality childcare affordable and accessible for all." Ivanka is on one track—a social-welfare-friendly track.

Her father is on another.

Donald Trump's track considers breastfeeding—and Hillary Clinton's bathroom breaks—"disgusting." It thinks a woman's opinion is disqualified if she has "blood coming out of her wherever." In 1994, Trump said, "Putting a wife to work is a very dangerous thing." In 2004, Trump said a pregnant employee was "certainly an inconvenience for a business." Trump's been barreling down that darkly lit tunnel for years. Then, when convenient, he flips on his high beams for a few seconds.

In 2004, Trump said a pregnant employee was "certainly an inconvenience for a business."

So here's Donald Trump again, outlining new Republican party policy while simultaneously sticking it the GOP. And there he goes, coating it all in a light layer of finely ground hypocrisy. The man has a gift.

Tuesday, Trump announced his plan for lowering child-care costs, crafted in part by one seemingly sensible Woman for Trump, his more socially liberal daughter Ivanka. His aides gave a preview to reporters Tuesday morning, focusing on Trump's proposal to offer women six weeks of paid maternity leave. Tuesday night, Trump formally presented his plan on a campaign stop near Philadelphia. The details were oddly specific, his voice was lowered. He held up a baby, and Ivanka nodded and clapped behind him.

According to The Washington Post, the six weeks "would be financed through savings achieved by eliminating fraud in the unemployment insurance program," and would not cost taxpayers a dime. However, as reporter Jeremy Diamond clarified, the plan does not entail six weeks of full paid maternity leave. Instead, it offers six weeks of full unemployment benefits. Trump also announced a plan for parents to deduct child-care expenses from their income taxes, capped at the "average cost of care" per state, and deductibles for stay-at-home parents.

All said, Trump's plan is a big government idea very obviously meant to cater to female voters—and very obviously Ivanka's brainchild. He said so himself, mimicking his 34-year-old daughter, who is a business woman and mother of three, at a campaign rally Tuesday in Iowa: "Daddy, daddy, we have to do this," he said. "She is the one that has been pushing so hard for it."

There are 54 days left for Trump to switch to Ivanka's track. Lord knows if he has the humility in him.

Editor's Note: This post has been edited to note the correct length of proposed maternity leave. It has also been updated with new information.

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